The dove's broken wing
by Onedaycloser
Summary: The first time Madeline Murray wanted to ride in the Scorpio Races was when she was seven years old. Now at 16, her ambition hasn't changed. Although Maddie knows that very few riders come back alive after the competition- she doesn't care, thinking that there is nothing standing between her and winning. But oh, how very wrong she is.
1. Prolouge

" Mommy, daddy, come look!" A little blonde girl runs up to the closest window, her breath fogging up the glass. It was her favorite time of the year: The Scorpio Races. Every November, people from all over Thisby would come to compete in this race. They would capture a horse, or better described as a _capall uisce. _The horses were quite unlike any others anyone had seen before. Drawn from the sea or created by land, these animals were fierce beasts, not meant to be tamed. The girl had heard legends where the _capall uisce_ had destroyed a town like a hurricane, or ripped a man's throat out. Although they terrified her, Maddie couldn't help but being intrigued. She watched as the men on horses trotted by, fearless against the November cold. She knew where they were headed: to the beach, where all the other men trained with their horses, preparing for the grueling race ahead of them. Madeline didn't know what it was like because her parents would never let her near a single _capall uisce_, definitely not thousands. But she could imagine it. A chaos of men and horse, united together as one and training as hard as they possibly can to win first prize. The winner receives cash- Maddie couldn't tell you how much, she couldn't count up to it- but she knew it was more than ever dreaming of. She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice her parents at her side, silently watching as the _capall uisce_ trampled by. Once they were all out of sight from the view of the window, the little girl turned toward her parents. " One day, I am going to be a rider and win first prize!" Now if you have never seen a seven year old when they are exited, you are missing out. Their eyes light up, and they give you the biggest, most sweetest smile they can manage. It makes you feel like they are intentionally trying to guilt you. Some of them do. In Maddie's case, however, this was not true. She meant it with all her heart, which made it even harder for her parents to break it to her. So instead, they gave her a wordless smile. If you looked closely enough, you would see that the smile didn't match their eyes. You would see that it was fake, artificial. But how on earth was a seven year old supposed to figure that out? Oblivious, Maddie smiled back. After a few moments, the girl's petite hand found her way to her mother's slightly larger one. There the two figures sat, the mother staring blankly out the window, and the girl just wishing, hoping, waiting for the blessed day when she was able to compete in the Scorpio Races.


	2. Chapter 1

"Why are we here so early? The tide doesn't rise until-" The girl checks her watch. "at least an hour from now." They were walking along the sandy beach, the water lapping against the surface. Abby was right; the tide was shallow, not near as high enough as what it needed to be. " I thought I told you, I wanted to be prepared." Maddie responded. Each of the girls held a group of ropes in their hands, along with a saddle and other various supplies. And iron. A lot and a lot of iron. Maddie had read somewhere that water horses hated metal. She really hoped she was right. "So... are we going to sit here, waiting for a nice little horse to come out of the sea? Where do we go?" Abby was impatient. Maddie really couldn't blame her- she was too, sometimes. "Over there." The girl nodded to a cave-like shelter, keeping them hidden incase a _capall uisce _decided to come trotting their way, but giving them enough view to go by. After Maddie and Abby successfully made it to the cave, they dropped the stuff they were carrying, making a loud _thunk _on the floor. Together they sat staring at the tide, willing it to rise or hoping it would soon, anyway. Abby spoke up. "So, your horse. What are you going to name it?" Maddie slowly looked up. For a moment she just stared at her, as if Abby had spoken in another language. "Name it?" The Asian girl rolled her eyes. "Well, duh. What do you expect your horse to come to you by? Well, I'm naming mine Crescent." Her brown eyes sparkled. " You know, Cress for short." At this, Maddie smiled. " Cress. I like it. But I don't have a name for mine." She shrugged. "I'll know when I see him." Maddie then stared at the sea, lost in thought. Soon, the tide will be high enough that a new _capall uisce _will be born. And then... and then they would have to capture it. That was the hard part. They were restless and wild, un-tame. For years she's been wondering how the riders did it. Now she was one. Just then, her thoughts were interrupted by a high-pitch scream. Although it was quite loud and unnerving, it didn't sound like a human scream. Almost, but it had a bit of off-ness to it. If Maddie hadn't been one to study the _capall uisce _,she would have immediately been on her feet, running towards the cry. But Maddie didn't move an inch. The scream only meant one thing- the _capall uisce _were awake.  
The blonde haired girl, in spite of herself, grabbed hold of Abby's hand. Despite all the reading she's done, Maddie's heart was pounding in her ears. She could sense Abby was nervous too- she felt the sweat in her palm. After all, this was also Abby's first time. Madeline's gaze met Abigail's, sending a silent message: _On three, we are going to go down there, and capture the capall uisce._ Abby nodded, looking slightly pale. _One._ Maddie held up a finger. _Two._ Please, please let us live. _Three. _But something was wrong. On three, they should have left the cave. But when Maddie looked over at Abby, her face, if it was a little pale before, looked deathly white. And she was shaking. That was odd, Abby was the most fearless person she knew... that's when Maddie looked up and realized what the problem was. There was a _capall uisce _standing right in front of them.


	3. Chapter 2

The horse was pitch black, dark as night. It blended so well with the night sky that Maddie would have walked right into it, if Abby hadn't warned her. A shiver went down her spine, making her teeth chatter. It was easy to imagine the horse's jaw clamping around her neck, tearing her to pieces... Maddie forced herself to focus. She was as still as a statue. The _capall uisce_loved a moving target. If she was still long enough, maybe it would go away. But on the other hand, this was the chance Maddie had been waiting for all her life. She needed a horse to compete. So did Abby. And that horse was standing directly in front of them, so far making no signs of noticing they were there. The darkness was concealing them. But it was only a matter of time before both of the girls became a meal, unless one of them took action.  
Maddie, moving as slowly as possible, put her hand behind her, trying to locate the ropes. No more than a second later, she felt a long, rope-like surface beneath her. Pulling the ropes so that they were next to her, Maddie eyed Abby while keeping one of them on the _capall uisce_. Once she was sure she had Abby's attention, the blonde haired girl glanced down at the ropes, then at the horse. Abby nodded. That was one of the great things about having best friends, they always knew what you were saying even without the words. Now, the _capall uisce_'s ears were pricked, as if noticing a disturbance in the air. It's great, massive head turned their way. "Now!" Maddie yelled. In a instant, both girls were on their feet, ropes in their hands. If the_capall uisce_ hadn't noticed them before, it definitely did now. It's razor black eyes set on the two girls. The _capall uisce_charged. Heart pounding, Maddie fingered the iron that was in her pocket. If there was a time that she would have needed it, it would be now. The horse was charging straight at her. The girl opened the rope that was in her hand, holding it out in front of her. If she was right, when the _capall uisce_ was about to crash into her, it's head would slip through the rope, and it would hopefully be trapped. It was the worst plan ever. So many things could go wrong. It could bite her and kill her, she could have misjudged the rope size. But it was a whole lot easier not to think about that. Maddie forced herself to be still, moving out of the way at the last second. As soon as the horse was in the rope, she darted to her left. At first, the _capall uisce_ was still and Maddie thought she had beaten it. But then, the horse began to jerk around wildly, causing Maddie to almost lose the rope.  
The creature shook his head like a wet dog, trying to get rid of the tendril. He continued this for many minutes, before realizing that the tactic wasn't working. But the next thing the_ capall uisce _did made her wish the horse was still jerking his mane. It let out a scream, the same one Maddie had heard earlier. But it was a thousand times worse, a thousand times loud. Maddie thought she heard her left eardrum pop. Her heart sank. The _capall uisce_ was calling for more of it's brethren. One of them was bad enough. She really didn't need five more. This whole time, Abby had been silently watching, openmouthed. But the scream seemed to jolt her back to reality. Grabbing her rope, Abby went over to the horse Maddie was handling, and tied it around the horse's muzzle. The first time she tried, it nearly bit off her arm. The second time, the _capall uisce_ managed to kick her sharply in the ribs. Abby doubled over, clutching her sides. Maddie was about to run over to see if she was alright, but Abby got up and gestured that she was fine. The third time, Abby succeeded in tying the rope around it's muzzle, tightly. Now that all the horses weapons were gone, it lay still, seeming to accept the fact that it had been beaten. Maddie made eye contact once more with Abby. Her friend's eyes were light, a playful, relaxed smile in them. Maddie smiled back, not believing it. For a moment, it didn't matter that the races were just weeks away, or that they had only caught one out of two horses. They were alive. One horse down, another to go.


	4. Chapter 3

_"Hello?" The girl called out. "Hello?" She spoke again. It was nightfall down at the beach, the tide steadily growing higher and higher. That's not what she was worried about, though. Madeline had been out chasing a little island pony. A foolish thing to do, really, since the baby horse wasn't really a threat, she had just been bored. But now she regretted that decision. It was pitch black, dark as night. When Maddie put her hands in front of her face, they seemed nonexistent. Invisible. So here she was, stumbling blindly through the darkness, all because of a stupid pony. That's when Maddie heard it. A shrill scream, barley audible. The blonde haired girl turned around. Of course, nothing. But she couldn't help the way her skin prickled, her breath becoming more faster with each second. Just when the girl was about to break into a run, she was stopped by a looming figure that stood over her. Puzzled, she leaned in to try to get a better view. The first thing she noticed were the hooves. Odd. Frowning, she moved her gaze upward. What she saw took all her willpower not to scream. What was standing in her way was a massive beast, looking down at her with it's razor black eyes. For a second there was no sound, no movement. Only the sigh of the waves. But then, the capall uisce started moving towards her. It opened it's large mouth; about to tear her apart like all the others. She screamed, yet no sound came out. The beast moved forward still, It's jaws closing in for the kill-_

Maddie jolted up with a start, her body bathed in cold sweat. Her heart was pounding against her ribcage, and it took several minutes- or so it seemed- to calm. Once her pulse got back to normal and her breathing slowed, the girl looked around. The small room she was in bathed in sunlight- making the yellow paint on the walls stand out. Floral designs were everywhere. On the walls, the floor, even the comforter of the bed was crafted with many different kinds of flowers. The only thing that wasn't flower-imprinted was the pile of stuffed animals, tucked neatly in a corner. That and the brown dresser, holding her books and such. It took a while for Maddie to register that the room she was looking at was indeed hers. The girl shook her head, as if trying to empty the contents of her dream the night before. After sitting on her mattress for a few more seconds, Maddie got up from her bed and walked over to her closet. She never had much of a care for how she looked, unlike her mother, who was always begging her to get a new wardrobe. Today, It was just a plain T-shirt and jeans. After finishing all the required things to get ready for the day, the girl walked over to a small handheld mirror and looked at herself. She wasn't necessarily sure why, but it was probably a old habit. The girl's sea green eyes looked back at her in the mirror, complimenting her bright, blonde hair. After a few second of admiring herself, Maddie put the mirror down. She then looked around her room, unsure of what to do next. Usually the girl would be making her way down to the breakfast table right now, possibly striking up conversation with her parents. She wasn't sure what was stopping her. Maybe she just didn't feel like it? No. It was the guilt, Maddie realized. Of capturing and owning a capall uisce. When Maddie was ten, almost the eligible age for competing in the races, her parents had sat her down. She felt like she had spent hours ( although it was probably only 30 minutes) listening to her parents lecture about how she ' was much too delicate to be riding in that stampede'. She had feigned listening, nodding her head and saying 'okay'. Maddie figured her parents would hate her when they found out what she had done. Capturing a Capall uisce and signing up for the races... yeah, Maddie could imagine the kind of scolding she would get when they found out. It was only a matter of time, really. But delaying was one of Maddie's favorite hobbies.  
Just then, her cell phone rang out loud and clear, causing Maddie to jump about a foot in the air. She went to check it.

" Hello? Who is it?" The girl made no attempt to hide the annoyance in her voice.

" Maddie? Um hey, Its Abby. Hey, I'm wondering if you could come over to my place real quick? I want to show you something." Oblivious to her friend's annoyance, Abby was sounding exited and peppy, a trait that wasn't displayed very often. It surprised Maddie, in a pleasant way, however.

"Well, that sounds fun, but I'm not sure if I can, my parents-"

" Aw, come on. Since when do you listen to what your parents tell you? You're the one riding in the races without permission."

Maddie bit her lip, trying to think up a clever reply. But when none came, however, Maddie was forced to yield. "Alright, smart-alec. Be over soon." And with that, the girl shut her phone off, placing it on her bed. Whatever Abby wanted to show her better be important, she thought. Getting up, she walked over to her door and opened it, taking a step. But after a few steps, her plan to be as stealthy as possible failed. " Good morning, sweetie! Sleep well?" Her mom.

"Uh, fine. Great, actually. But mom, I was wondering if I could go over to Abby's house? It won't be long." She added quickly. Maddie thought she could see her mother's smile turn down a bit.

"Well, Honey, I suppose so, but-"

"Thanks, mom!" No sense in talking any longer than she had to. Rushing to the front door, the girl opened it, the cold November air blasting her face. Regaining her composure, Maddie stepped out, closing the door behind her. As she made her way toward Abby's house, Maddie couldn't seem to let go of the shame and guilt that threatened to overwhelm her.


	5. Chapter 4

_Knock, Knock, Knock._ The blonde haired girl sighed, leaning against the doorframe. Ten minutes. If Abby had wanted her here so badly, why hadn't she opened the door yet? Maddie sighed again. The world may never know. Leaning down, she picked up a stray stick, probably fallen out of a bush of some sort. She then started busying herself with twirling it, around and around. Maddie was wondering when her friend would answer. But not much longer as she had thought that, the door swung wide open, revealing a small, Asian girl with crossed arms.

" Finally, Maddie! What took you so long?!"

Maddie was annoyed, perplexed, and shocked all at the same time when she heard those words. Really, she thought Abby's accusation was pretty unfair, and was about to say so, until she saw Abby's annoyed expression melt off into a devious smirk.

" I was kidding you. I was waiting by the door that whole time, coming out at just the right moment. I wanted to see your reaction." The smirk was ever-present on Abby's face.

"Abigail Jackson! You little-"

Again, Maddie was stopped. "Yeah, yeah I bet I'll hear all of that later. But come here! I did say I wanted to show you something, right?" And without further explanation, Abby grabbed Maddie's hand, pulling her into the house. Annoyed yet interested, Maddie reluctantly followed Abby out of the doorway.

By the time both the girls had stopped, Maddie's arm felt pulled out of it's socket. Abby sure had a strong grip. She was so intent on soothing the pain in her arm that it took a while for her to realize where they were. Wooden boards, stalls lined up on either side of the structure, the air smelling like hay and... something else she couldn't place just yet. It took a while for the right word to come. A stable. They were in a horse stable, or better described as a _capall uisce_ stable, hence the odd smell. For some reason, being here calmed her. It made her worries go smaller and smaller in the back of her head, until her mind felt as if it was floating in a land of bliss and happiness. It was none other than Abby who came to the rescue, a bit to Maddie's displeasure. Was it that hard to ask for a moment of peace? But then she remembered why she had even come here in the first place.

"This way, Maddie. She's somewhere over here."

"What? Who is, why...?" In that instant, all the questions she was going to ask drifted out of her head. For standing in front of her was the most beautiful horse she had ever seen. It's silver coat glimmered in the sun, obviously just had been brushed. It's tail and mane were the same color, other than the black that was dying the ends of the mane and tail, almost as if the horse had gotten highlights. But It's eyes were what Maddie favored most, the dark, rich brown. Soft and sweet, like a cookie, or a brownie, maybe. "That horse is..." Maddie struggled to find the right word. Abby laughed at her hesitation.

" That's what I thought too, when I first saw her. So you like her, yes? Good. You better, because she's going to be your ticket in to the races."

The blonde haired girl could hardly process what her friend was saying. "So... you mean, I'm keeping her? Riding her in the races, like..." Again, the girl found herself struggling. "So she is a _capall uisce_?" Was all she could really think of to say. For some reason, Maddie had a hard time believing that such a beautiful, innocent looking horse could be a monster. A flesh eating beast of a horse.

"Well duh, of course she is. You think I'd be mean enough to give you a island pony? You'd be destined to fail. I'm cruel, okay, but not that cruel." Abby smiled lightly.

"You sure about that?" Maddie joked. Laughing slightly, the girl turned around towards the nearest window, looking out. The sun was dipping low into the sky. Wow. Had she really stayed here all day? Well, time to say her goodbyes. Her parents were probably anxious.

"Hey Abby?

"Mhm?" Abby spoke back, her eyes still fixed on the silver horse.

"Well, I uh, I need to go. Okay?" She shifted around uneasily, sure that Abby was going to make her stay longer.

"Maddie...can you just stay for a couple of minutes longer? Come on, life gets boring around here."

Maddie couldn't resist the urge to smile. "Abby, I've been here literally all day. Besides, you have a barn full of horses that you could ride any time you want. How is boredom and option for you? I'd ride all day if I could..."

Abby bit her lip, it was her turn to feel annoyed. "Fine. But at least tell me a name. What are you going to name her?" Abby studied Maddie carefully, as if looking for something.

Maddie thought long and hard. Finally, the answer came. She grinned from ear to ear. "Silver Rose." She wasn't sure why she had chosen the name, or what it meant to her. But It felt right. Not waiting to see her friend's reaction, Maddie turned around, walking out of the stable and back to the direction she had come from, feeling much lighter than she had in days.


	6. Chapter 5

It had been exactly 3 days, 72 hours, and 4320 minutes since she had captured the _capall uisce. _

It was amazing how many things could happen in those three days.

Maddie had been grounded. From what, you may ask? Well, it was really quite simple. No TV, (although Maddie hardly watched any anyway) books, phone... basically anything that sounded even remotely fun or exiting. All because she had simply stayed too late at a friend's house. Oh, what a fun three weeks this was going to be. The main problem with all this was that she was confined to the house. Meaning she couldn't go outside. Meaning she couldn't practice for the races for three weeks, and they started in four. To break it down, Maddie had only one week. One week to get her horse in the best shape possible, fit enough to be in the top three. Maddie figured that if she and her horse made it in the top three, her parents would be so proud that they would forget all about the fact that she wasn't allowed to ride in the races in the first place. As Maddie looked at the big picture of it all, she couldn't see how it was possible to do all that. The girl cursed herself silently. She was so stupid. She was starting to realize why her parents hadn't wanted her to ride yet. Well, too late for that. Sighing, the girl flopped herself onto her bed, causing the springs underneath the mattress to shake and squeak. She wondered what Abby was doing right now. Training with her pitch black stallion- Cress, or sitting in her room, as bored as she was? Maddie wished she knew.  
Just then, the young blondes thoughts were interrupted by a sharp, pinging sound coming from the living room. It took a while for Maddie to finally distinguish it- _the doorbell. _Although Maddie was indeed grounded from answering the door ( this seemed like a stupid thing to ground someone from, Maddie thought) she couldn't resist from hopping out of her bedroom and into the living room, to at least check to see who it was. Anything to get rid of the boredom. Once entered the living room, Maddie made her way to a small window, perched above the kitchen sink. It was her favorite window- not only because it was easy to reach (Maddie was a rather small girl), but because she could stare at the person all she wanted, but they had no idea they were being looked at. Peeking out, Maddie got a pretty clear view of the boy who was at the front door. He was a got bit taller than her- about five inches- with an olive-skinned tone and a darker hair color, his hair falling in between long and short. His bright blue eyes were piercing. To sum it up, if Maddie had been looking for a boyfriend, this guy would have been date-worthy. Maddie then realized much time had passed since the boy had rang the doorbell, yet neither of her parents have answered. So she called out. "Hey, Mom? Dad? Uh, someone's at the door." No response. Then:

"Honey, I'm in the shower, and your mother is at the market. You go ahead and answer it, I'll be out in a second. Just don't go anywhere." Her dad replied.

Wow. It amazed Maddie at how much faith her parents had in her sometimes.

With nothing else left to do, Maddie went over and opened the door, causing the hinges to squeak. "Um, hello. Can I help you?"

"Hello, Ma'am. Your parents-or I am guessing they are your parents- wanted me to come see them about something. They requested that I meet at this time, although it seems as if they are not ready. Should I leave, then come back at a more appropriate time?"

Maddie had been staring at the teenager for a little while before she realized he had asked her a question. "What? Oh, no, um, it's fine. My dad said, er, he would be out soon. Here, come in." Maddie stepped aside to make room for the stranger. He reluctantly made his way in the doorway, as Maddie shut the door. The girl guided the boy to the couch, figuring it was polite to offer him seating. He gladly sat. "Um.. would you like anything to drink? We have water, tea-"

The boy cut her off. "No, no Its fine. But thank you."

"Oh. Okay." Maddie sheepishly grinned at him. She hadn't noticed this before, but it seemed as if the boy had an accent. A faint, small one, perhaps, definitely there. She couldn't quite place it. "So... You said my parents wanted to see you. Why?" Maddie asked, trying to break the ice.

"Oh, nothing much for you to worry about. Business problems." He gave her a knowing smile. It sent a shiver, although pleasant, down Maddie's spine.

"So you have business with them, then?"

The boy chuckled a bit, causing Maddie to frown. That was a perfectly valid question, wasn't it? "What's so funny?" She demanded.

"Nothing, sweetie. But tell me, do I look old enough to be in a business to you? I am merely the son of my father, who is the head of this organization. I carry messages from him time to time."

"Oh." was all Maddie could think of to say. Now that she studied him, the boy looked around two, three years older than her. 16 or 17, probably. He had seemed so much older. But perhaps it was the way he carried himself, or the way he spoke in a formal, polite tone. Either way, Maddie was glad for the stranger's company. Beat being locked up in a room for sure. "So tell me, what's your name? I don't think I caught it."

The boy smiled again, his kind yet intense blue eyes lighting up and causing the faintest lines of a grin on Maddie's lips. His smile was contagious. "Colin. Yours?"

Colin. What a nice name, although it didn't sound foreign, contrasting the was he looks and sounds. She again wondered where he came from.  
"Madeline, but I go by Maddie. Nice to meet you."

"Well Maddie, its a pleasure to meet you as well." Colin had seemed to drop the business look on him, his smile becoming more easy, his posture a tad more relaxed, not much, but some. Maddie was about to say something else, when her father entered the room, well dressed in a suit and tie. Immediately, Colin sat up, looking as formal as he did when he first entered.

"Ah, Colin. Nice to see you again." Maddie's father welcomed him with the smallest incline of hid head.

"And you as well, sir." Colin repeated the gesture.

"Well. Let's get to business them, shall we?" As the girl's father sat down, he directed his next message toward his daughter. "Off with you girl, your lucky you got to be in here at all. I'll get you when we are all finished here, understood?"

Maddie suddenly wished she could stay with the two of them, in excuse to be with Colin some more, but she knew better than to refuse. "Yes dad." She nodded toward him, then proceeded to her room, the image of Colin's smile still burning in her mind.


	7. Chapter 6

Maddie smiled in pure glee, the cold November air filling her lungs. Finally, after three weeks of being cooped up in a cage, she was free. She looked around , her vision slightly blurred due to the sprinkle of rain falling from the sky. What should she do first? Maddie would have gone straight to Abby's house, but to be honest, she wasn't in the mood to hear her friend rant about how she seemingly 'disappeared' for three weeks. No, that wouldn't do. And since her horse was there as well, she couldn't go down to train, either. How annoying. After a few moments, Maddie decided to settle on going to the bakery. It was about a mile away from her house, but Maddie's legs needed a good exercise. Plus, she had heard that the November cakes, which were only made during Race season, were quite delicious. Satisfied, at least somewhat, with the decision she made, Maddie began walking toward the bakery. Ten, twenty, twenty-five minutes passed. Maddie's legs began to ache. She found this observation rather odd, since she was usually pretty fit. She supposed it was because of all the weeks she spent in that room of hers. Shrugging, the girl walked on. She was nearly there. After about ten more minutes, Maddie made her way into the small bakery, the little bell tinging above the doorway, thus signaling her arrival. The man ( when Maddie first realized that the baker was one of the male gender, she was a bit surprised. Although she knew thinking that ladies were always the ones to run bakeries was a bit stereotypical, she couldn't help herself) who was at the counter refrained from looking up at first, but soon curiosity won over, and he looked up to see who it was that had entered. He had jet-black hair, olive skin, and bright blue eyes. Maddie thought he looked familiar. Apparently the boy thought so too, because he did a double-take. That's when she remembered. This boy's name was Colin.  
Maddie walked up to the counter now feeling self-conscious. She hadn't bother to look at herself before she went. Her hair was probably a mess (although her parents said it never got messed up) and she didn't even bother to think about putting on makeup. Of course. She never did. Colin was the first to break the ice.

" Hello. I believe we've met before. Maddie, right?"

Maddie nodded, not trusting herself enough to speak. Colin smiled his warm, breathtaking smile.

"Thought so. Alright then Maddie, what would you like?"

Maddie paused an appropriate pause before replying: " A November cake, please."

"Great choice. Heard those are the best." He then ducked behind the counter, grabbing one for her. She waited until she heard a bump of a November cake being placed on the counter and watched it slide toward her. She caught it, just in time. It certainly looked appetizing. The golden pastry was covered in a white coating, the aroma making her mouth water. She took a bite, slowly chewing to preserve the sweet, tangy taste of the pastry. She had hardly any time to savor it, however, when the door opened and the ever-present bell went off once again. Before she had time to look up, Maddie felt something heavy hurl into her side, pinning her down. The November cake was lost at once, flying out of her hand before she had time to catch it. Maddie's head hit the floor, hard. Maddie refrained from wincing, knowing she would have a bruise later. On instinct, the girl started kicking at her captor, wondering why Colin wasn't coming to the rescue like a responsible teenager was supposed to do. Maddie knew when she succeeded in kicking when she heard a small grunt. However, the person did not move one bit. Starting to feel more annoyed now, Maddie opened her eyes that she had been closing, and peered at her captor. I must say, she was indeed surprised when she realized it was Abby, glaring down at her.


	8. Chapter 7

"Where on earth have you been?!" Were the first words out of Abby's mouth. Maddie was to shocked to answer, and instead was meeting Abby's death stare. She again wondered what Colin was doing. "Do you know how many times I texted you?! When you didn't respond, I was starting to think something had happened! I mean you could have at least said something!" Apparently Abby had been wanting to get all this out of her system for a little bit now. She was yelling at the top of her voice, seeming to get angrier when she saw that Maddie was not responding. Maddie couldn't believe that no one had come rushing to her aid. Not that she was scared of her friend, no, but surely someone had to hear Abby's voice? She was really being quite loud. Maddie knew Abby would be upset, but not this much... but eventually, Abby's anger died down, and she got off of Maddie and helped her up. They then both looked at each other for a while. Abby was the one who spoke first. "Sorry about that Maddie, I just-"

" Aw, Abby. It's fine." She waved her hands, showing that it was all good. "And your right, I probably should have said something. I was grounded, though." Maddie admitted.

"Really? I got all worked up over nothing?"Abby joked. Leave it to her to ease the awkwardness.

Maddie allowed herself a small smile. "I guess so. But what i'm wondering is why this guy-" She jammed her thumb at Colin. "didn't come to rescue me." Maddie looked at Colin accusingly. Colin, however, looked amused. "What?" she demanded.

"I had no need to ah, 'rescue you' so to speak. I already knew she wouldn't cause you any harm. Besides, you two are friends, yes?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Maddie. Abby here, is my cousin."

Maddie was shocked, looking from Abby, to Colin, to Abby again. "Wow. You two look nothing alike."

This time, it was Abby who spoke. "Gee, thanks."

"I mean-" she hurried to amend herself. "You do look_ some_ alike..."

Abby sighed. "Don't lie to me, Maddie. Oh!" Abby said suddenly. "Maddie! What d'ya think about taking our _capall urice_ out for a ride, huh?"

Maddie grinned from ear to ear. "Are you kidding me? I'd been waiting to do that for forever... yes!"  
With nothing else further to do, the two girls waved a cheerful good-bye to Colin, and then set off toward Abby's house, laughing as if they haven't a care in the world. 


	9. Chapter 8

Abby wrinkled her nose. "That smell is revolting." Maddie didn't wasn't to admit it, but she privately agreed. The two of them were standing at the beach, each of them holding on to their own horses reins. They had expected for nobody to be here, since it was getting close to dusk- but apparently they had chosen the time most popular. People were everywhere along the beach, and quite honestly, the people were enough trouble by themselves. Then you add in their _capalls_, and you start to wonder how in the world that many can even fit on the beach in the first place. But wait, there's more! Along with the horses being the size of a bulldozer and having a reputation for 'snacking' on humans, so to speak, they also didn't exactly smell like roses and daisies. Although it's sometimes hard to tell when you only have one horse around,( The smell then is very faint, so even if you were to catch a whiff, it would almost give off the allusion that the horse was scented with a sweet-smelling fragrance) when they are in a group like this, that's when the horses show off their true colors. Really, the whole place reeked of the ocean. Now don't get me wrong, I love the ocean, but it was all the bad smells. I don't really want to go into details, so let's just leave it at that.  
Sighing, Maddie figured she might as well just grin and bear it, after all they had to train, right? With nothing else further to do, Maddie led her silver mare (with Abby and her horse following closely behind) to find somewhere with some space, though Maddie figured it would be near impossible. After a few moments searching, they finally, _finally_, found a clear patch of sand, somewhere farther away from all the noise and chaos.

"Wow. You know, for a second there I really thought I was going to die. You know, from holding in my breath for so long." Abby stated.

Maddie smiled a bit. " Yeah? Well, here's an idea. Try breathing. It's what all the cool kids are doing nowadays."

"Really? Huh. I guess your not doing it, then?"

"Shut up, Abby." Maddie said, trying to look serious, but just ended up grinning. She covered it up (or tried to) by turning to her mare, and beginning to unpack.

"Ha. I win." Abby declared victoriously. And that was that.

After everything was unloaded from the _capalls_ backs, the two girls stood, pondering on how to train the two horses. Maddie suddenly realized that on all she had looked up on the _capall uisce_, she had not even thought to look at how to train them. Well it was a bit too late for that now wasn't it? Abby, as usual, was the first one to speak up.

"Maybe...maybe you just train them like any other horse? I mean, it's not that different, right?"

Maddie thought about it. She supposed that were true. I mean, the only difference was that they were flesh-eating monsters. That's not too much of a difference, right? "Okay..." Maddie started. "We could, yeah. We just have to watch out for ourselves. I think we also have to make sure that the capalls don't run off towards the sea when you race them. I heard that since the sea is their home turf, they naturally go toward it." Maddie spoke all this in a rush, like she did when she was warming up to an idea.

Abby smiled. "Great. So... the first step. Don't we have to like, gain their trust, or something?"

"Well Abby. You don't have to, but I think I would. I have no intention of getting my head bitten off, thank you very much." Maddie slowly rose from where she had been sitting.

"Alright, geez." Abby also began to get up, rolling her eyes as she did.

Maddie slowly began to peel her eyes off of Abby, then hesitantly shifting around to make eye contact with her horse. Maddie really had no hope that she was ever going to gain this mare's trust, let alone ride it. But she had to try. Once her eyes had locked with her capall, Maddie began taking a few steps, ever so slowly. It turned out Maddie was right. The horse would let her come all the way up to her, but when the girl tried to put her hand on it's muzzle, the horse fiercely backed up, not missing a chance to try and bit Maddie's arm off. She moved it just in time. The blonde haired girl sighed. This was going to be a long night.


	10. Chapter 9

For the millionth time, Maddie removed her hand from the mare's saddle. She let out a sigh of annoyance and glared at her horse. "You know, you are really making things difficult." She told it, as if the capall could actually understand her. Apparently, the mare wasn't impressed, and responded with a flick of her tail. Maddie crossed her arms. The stupid horse was more stubborn that she looked. "Fine. Have it your way." And with that, Maddie stormed off in a cloud of annoyance and impatience. She honestly didn't care if the beast got lost or ran off; Maddie was sick of trying. Why can't it just obey like any other animal? _But it's not just any other animal._ Maddie reminded herself sadly. The realization only made the girl's mood worse. She groaned.

"What is it? Is this too challenging for you, Maddie? Should I take you home?" Abby had a look of fake concern plastered on her face. Maddie wasn't going to lie; sometimes this girl really annoyed her like no one else could. And since hardly anyone could get on her nerves, this was saying a lot.

"I'm fine, thank you very much. If anything, you need help. You've like, done nothing this whole entire time." Maddie answered back, a tad of edge creeping into her voice. Well to be fair, it was true. The dark haired girl was sitting leisurely beside her horse, Crescent. She was sitting in such a way that it looked like she would not move from that spot, not now, not in a million years.

"What? I am waiting for you, you know. It's not my fault your taking forever..." And with that Abby trailed off, allowing herself to gaze off in the distance. Maddie resisted the urge to roll her eyes, and walked back toward her horse. Once all the distance between her and the capall were nearly gone, Maddie crossed her arms and glared up at her mare. The only reply she got was a look of intense boredom, like nothing in the world could possibly satisfy it. _I'll give you something to think about_, Maddie thought, smiling as an idea formed in her head.  
Maddie allowed herself to wait, wait until the Capall's head was completely turned around. Once it had done so, Maddie quickly jumped on to the mare's saddle, pulling her legs and arms in a safe distance, away from the range of the _capall uisce_. The horse tugged and thrashed, but the stubborn girl refused to let go. She was going to get this done today, or die trying. After a few more thrashes, the horse began to quiet down. Soon, the only noise to be heard was the sigh of the waves. Maddie hardly even noticed that all the riders had gone home for the night, for the girl was smiling triumphantly. All the muscles in her body began to relax, believing that the day's hard work was finally over. That was her big mistake. No sooner than the girl had done that, the Capall threw a wild jerk, one in which Maddie was caught off guard. She flew in to the air, stayed there for about three seconds, before landing rather hard in the sand below. The blonde haired girl groaned, a dull ringing filling her ears. _Much more of this, and I'll become deaf. _Was one of the thought's that entered Maddie's brain. Eventually, the ringing sensation in her ears passed, and Maddie began to distinguish sound. The first note to hit her ears was a high, shill note. A few more seconds, and Maddie realized what the sound was. Laughter. The girl inwardly groaned, not daring to look up, for she already knew who it was.  
"Abby, do me a favor and shut up, please..."

Through the girl's fits of laughter, she managed to put together a decipherable sentence: "You should have seen yourself, that was really... that was so beyond hilarious, I just can't..." The rest of Abby's sentence was lost in a fresh wave of laughter.

"Ha ha. So funny." Maddie muttered, knowing that only herself could hear. After the girl felt like she had experienced enough humiliation for one night and was ready to leave, she started to prop herself up with her right arm. Oddly enough, she found she couldn't. She tried again. No such luck. It felt like her arm was broken, but she couldn't feel any pain... that's when Maddie glanced to her right. Sure enough, her arm was broken, but in the worst way imaginable. It looked as if a huge chunk of flesh had been ripped from her arm (which it probably had) and she could see where her arm was broken; it stuck out in an odd angle at the elbow. The whole thing was such a huge, bloody mess... Maddie forced herself to look away. Before, the girl hardly felt any pain, but now... it felt like white hot daggers were stabbing into her arm. _Her_ arm. How could that lump of flesh even be considered hers? How did her arm even get that way? She considered calling for help. Duh, that's what you were supposed to do. Too late, Maddie felt herself start slipping into an oblivion of unconsciousness, black spots clouding her vision. She wasn't sure how much time had passed. She only knew that her friend's laughs had now changed into concerned calls. "Maddie? Hey Maddie, are you... Maddie!" She felt someone rush to her side. Who was it? Oh, Abby. Right... how come she wasn't asleep? Maddie herself felt like she needed a long nap, maybe a little rest, it had been a long day. Just something to distract herself from the pain in her arm... that was the last thing Maddie thought, before she sank into unconsciousness.


	11. Chapter 10

Maddie woke to a beeping noise. A faint, ever- present sound that seemed to drill into her skull. _Beep, beep beep._ She really wished it would stop. After a few more seconds, Maddie couldn't take the pestering dinging anymore. The girl opened her eyes. Before she had her eyelid fully parted from the bottom of her eye, Maddie felt the harsh glow of florescent lights burn in to her vision. She quickly closed them shut, and it took a while for the afterimage of the light to fade off. Once it did, she tried for opening them again, more slowly this time. The tactic seemed to have worked. Eventually, the girl's green orbs were fully awake and darting around like they couldn't take enough in. White walls. White floor. White ceiling. Everything that surrounded Maddie was white, devoid of all color. It was all so blank, such a sheet of nothingness, she wondered how anyone could stay here without going a bit insane. The blonde felt trapped, and she hated feeling trapped. She started to move around a bit, feeling a bit fidgety. It was then that Maddie remembered that her arm was broken. She stopped moving, waiting to feel the intense pain that was sure to come. Surprisingly, she felt nothing. Looking down at her arm that was now heavily wrapped in gauze, she prodded it with her good hand. Nothing, not even the slightest tingle. Was it fixed already? Frowning, Maddie decided to forget about it. Wouldn't help to worry.  
The squeak of a door opening interrupted Maddie from her thoughts. She immediately shut her eyes, not wanting any visitors right now. Bad enough she'd landed herself in a hospital.

"Is she awake?" A man's voice asked, the faintest accent appearing within. Colin.

" Well, does she look awake to you? No, Colin, she's not." A sigh. Maddie recognized the girl's voice immediately. She pictured Abby's dark hair tied back in her ever-present braid, the girl's brown eyes filled with concern.

"Well then, excuse me for asking."

Abby then muttered something indecipherable from where Maddie was at, and judging from the tense, awkward silence that followed, Maddie wasn't sure she wanted to know. After a little while, Colin spoke up again.

"Well, be sure to tell me when she wakes up. I wanna be there when you tell her."

_Tell me? Tell me what? _Maddie's head instantly began bursting with questions, from the most positive ones to the most gruesome. She forced them down, knowing she wasn't going to get answers now anyway. She continued feigning sleep.

"Alright, sure whatever." Apparently that was the reply Colin had been waiting to hear, because Maddie heard footsteps retreating back outside. A minute passed, then two. Maddie and Abby sat in a somewhat comfortable silence. Ten minutes passed. Still, neither spoke a word. Finally on the eleventh minute, Maddie heard the sound of footsteps scuffling toward her, then abruptly stopping. A hand squeezed her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Maddie." Abby's voice sounded faint, hardly a whisper. 'I'm so, so sorry."  
Footsteps walked away from her. Maddie was alone again.  
What did Abby mean? Sorry? For what? Maddie wondered what on earth could make Abby say that. She figured it wasn't good. With that happy thought, the girl slowly closed her eyes, and once again sank into unconsciousness.


	12. Chapter 11

The next time Maddie woke, she was in a different room. For one thing, the bright lights were gone, which was so relieving that Maddie didn't care about anything else for that moment. She felt even more relieved when she realized that no one else was in there with her. Maddie wouldn't have known what to do then. The girl looked around. Much to her displeasure, this room was the same color as the last- pure white. That was the color of the whole thing. In fact, the only reason she knew that it was a different room than the last was because the arrangement of furniture was different, and the lights were gone. Other than that it was the exact same. Maddie groaned. She didn't think she could last much longer in this place. She was literally going to go insane, she was sure of it. Maybe that's why she was here. To go insane. Maddie glared at the white around her, as if she could make it change in to a new color. Unfortunately, nothing happened. Annoyed, Maddie leaned back against her pillow. She began to recall what Abby had said to her yesterday- or was it the same day?- Maddie didn't know. Anyway, what Abby had said really put her off, _I'm so sorry, Maddie. _What did that mean? Was her injury a whole lot worse than what she had originally thought? Maddie probably would have spent all day thinking on it, but then the door opened. The white door, that blended in with everything so you hardly noticed it was there. But it was. Of course it was. Maddie watched the door closely, wondering who was behind it. Was it Abby, about to deliver whatever news awaited her? But when the door closed, Maddie saw a middle-aged woman, dressed in white clothing, (seriously, what was with all the white?) and holding up a tray full of... food. The girl then realized that she hadn't eaten since she came here, and that thought made her stomach ache with hunger.

"Hi sweetie! How are you?"

Maddie was about to reply, but the woman had already started a new sentence.

"My name is Paige, and i'm your nurse. What I have in my hands here is some food for you to eat, i'm sure your very hungry."

The woman, Paige, spoke all this in a slow, way-to-chirpy tone that suggested that the nurse thought that Maddie was mentally handicapped. Although this may not have been true, it made Maddie's vision turn slightly red from anger.

"Uh, yeah. That's great and all, but is there any other reason why your here? Because you can just drop of my food and leave if that suits your fancy."  
Maddie spoke the last words with as much sarcasm as she could manage. She knew it probably wasn't fair, but she couldn't help it- Maddie had been in this stupid white room for who knows how long, and she was getting tired of sitting around, doing nothing. The nurse looked hurt, but only for a split second before she turned her happy, cherry self again.

"Now sweetie, don't talk to me like that. It's not very nice." The nurse then walked over, setting the tray in Maddie's lap. "Now honey, while your eating, i'm just going to take a little teenie tiny prick from your arm, alright?" Paige gestured to Maddie's good arm. "Now don't worry sweetie, it won't hurt." And then, as if Maddie was scared by the needle in Paige's hand, the nurse said, "Do you want to touch it? It doesn't hurt at all, see?" The nurse demonstrated, then held the syringe out to Maddie.

"Um, no. I'm perfectly capable of handling the 'pain' and 'torture' of a needle, thank you very much." Maddie was getting more annoyed at this nurse by the second. She was fifteen, not three. Rolling her eyes, Maddie turned toward her food.

"Alright sweetie. That's okay, I won't make you touch it if you don't want to." Paige apparently wasn't getting the hint. Didn't Maddie make it obvious? "I just need you to hold out your arm for me, okay? Just hold it out-"

"No!" Maddie interrupted. I mean, no. Let me do it myself, alright?" Maddie was sick of playing her games. She tried to take the needle out of Paige's hand, but she moved it out of her reach.

"Ah, ah, ah." The nurse said in a condescending tone, as if she caught Maddie stealing cookies from a cookie jar. "Don't do that. I was given instructions on how only I was allowed to do that, alright? Your not big enough to do it sweetie, I'm sorry."

Maddie glared at Paige. "I'm fifteen, not five, okay? I know perfectly well how to put a needle in my own arm."

"Now, sweetie-"

"No! Stop it with that whole thing. Honestly. Just give it to me." Maddie glared at her nurse. Paige didn't budge. She was about to force it out of her hand, when the door opened again, and two teenagers walked in. Abby and Colin. Relief seeped through Maddie.  
"Finally! This nurse over here was driving me-"

"Sweetie, now there is no need for that." Paige stood up, needle in hand. "I'm going to leave now, but this isn't over. I'm getting the doctor to come help me later in the day." And with that, the nurse stormed out, and slammed the door behind her. Maddie smiled. It felt good to know that she was being so reckless that the nurse actually needed help. But the smile vanished as soon as she looked at Abby and Colin, both of whom had faces so grave Maddie could've sworn they were delivering news of a death.

"Uh, guys? Everything okay?" Maddie asked.

"Huh? Oh, everything's fine Maddie. How are you feeling?" Abby replied, her frown turning upside down; a smile.

"Fine, I guess. My arm doesn't hurt about you guys?" She reported, looking from Abby to Colin. Something wasn't right.

"We're great! Glad your okay. Um, What was that thing with the nurse..?"

"Just don't ask, Abby. Better If you didn't." Maddie closed her eyes, then opened them again. "Anyway, what's happened since I got, er, knocked out? How many days have I been here?" The girl's mind had suddenly started bursting with questions. "Are my parents worried?"

"Nothing much." Abby replied. "And yeah, your parents went ballisic when I told them. I know your in for something when you get home. And I think you've been out for about a week."

Maddie was silent for a moment, processing the new information. A week. Felt more like a month, but whatever. And her parents freaked out? Not surprising. Abby was right, her parents were going to kill her...

"Uh... hey, Maddie?" Abby spoke again. But her voice was much softer, much more tentative. It took a minute to realize she had said something.

"What? Oh. Yeah, Abby?" The girl now sensed that something was wrong- Abby and Colin kept sharing strange, solem glances. That was when Maddie realized that this was the news she'd been waiting to hear all day. She leaned forward, so much so that she had to catch herself from falling off the bed.

It was Colin who spoke this time. His voice was so quiet and full of sorrow, Maddie had a hard time believing it was his.  
"You can't ride anymore, Maddie. Not tomorrow, not a year from now. The doctor said your arm may have suffered permanent damage, and riding would increase that damage, something about stretching a certain muscle. You nearly died. You had Abby and I worked up." Colin tried for a smile, but disappeared as quickly as it came. " I'm sorry, Maddie."  
The girl could hardly process what the boy was saying, she was in so much shock. She didn't even notice when the two had left. Three words seemed to be on repeat in Maddie's mind,_ never riding again._ She couldn't believe it. For a while, Maddie just sat there, her brain numb. After an hour, two days, weeks- Maddie had no idea. But somewhere along there, the tears were brought to Maddie's eyes, and she put her face in her arms, and sobbed. 


	13. Chapter 12

Maddie didn't know how long it had been until she stopped crying. All she knew was that dawn had faded to dusk, and stars were popping out of their hiding place, waking up to greet the night. The girl's eyes were puffy, her vision blurry, making the world around her bend in a kaleidoscope of colors. Well, as much as colors could bend in this room of white. The girl crossed her legs, staring about and not really thinking about anything. She sat this way for quite a while, not daring to let her mind wander. She was afraid that if she did, she would start to cry again- Crying wasn't something Maddie liked to do very much, or did often. But eventually the girl came to her senses, and she realized how very pathetic she was acting. Annoyed at herself, the girl started wiping the tears away. It was time to stop acting like a little kid and start doing something. Sighing, Maddie got up and walked towards the only window in the room. She watched the outside, wondering when night would turn into day and she could get out of here. Funny, Maddie thought. Weren't hospitals supposed to be like, comfy and inviting? In the girl's mind, you coudn't describe this place in a worse way. It almost made her want to laugh at the irony. Really, this whole situation she was in made her want to laugh. Rolling her eyes at herself, Maddie resumed in staring out the window. Nothing, not even the slightest hint of daylight appeared. How late was it, anyways? She had no idea- there was no clock in the room. Oh well. She'd just keep staring out the window then, until-

"You're still awake? I thought you'd be asleep by now."  
Startled, Maddie turned toward the door, where she had heard the voice. She couldn't see who it was since there was no light in the room, but the voice sounded familiar to her.

"Colin?" The girl asked.

"Congratulations. You win five points." The boy responded, obvious sarcasm dripping from his words.

"Nice to see you, too. But, uh, why are you here? Isn't it late... Actually I have no idea, for all I know it could be eight at night. Either way, you still have a reason for being here."

"Uh, yeah." Colin cleared his throat and, even though she couldn't see him, Maddie could sense the embarrassment coming off of him.

"Yeah?" Maddie asked, prodding him.

"Nothing. Look, I don't really know why I came in here anyways-"

"Yes you do, liar." Maddie muttered, interrupting him.

"Yeah, whatever. But it's bad timing anyways, so I'll just leave and let you-"

"No, stay." Maddie spoke again, interrupting for the second time. "It gets boring around here, ya know?"

Colin seemed surprised by the answer, but he obliged and walked toward the window Maddie was standing at. He stood so close she could smell his cologne.

"So." Colin said.

"So."

"So. Why do you want me to stay again?"

Maddie resisted the urdge to roll her eyes."Like I said, it gets boring around here. Hey, do you know what time it is?"

Colin looked at his wristwatch- which Maddie hadn't known he had until now- and announced the time. "Pretty much midnight. Why?"

The girl shrugged. "Just wondering. Counting the hours until I leave." At this, Colin smiled.

"What, don't like it here? I was just getting settled in myself."

Maddie did roll her eyes this time. "Well. Now I know where Abby gets her sarcasm from."

Colin's grin widened. "Yeah, well. It runs in the family."

"Oh, that's reassuring." the girl rolled her eyes again. But the next time she spoke, her words were a bit more serious: "Okay, but really. Do you know when I get out of here? Because I will literally force my way out if it's not soon." Maddie looked up at Colin.

"Tommorow." Colin replied immediately. Then he sighed. "Actually, I don't know. Wait, hold on a second." He added that last part because it looked as if Maddie was about to break out in an outburst. After waiting a moment, he continued. "I meant, I could probably talk to the doctor or something to get you out tommorow. I agree, a week is kind of way too long to stay here for a broken arm." After hearing this, Maddie practically jumped up and down with excitement.

"Are you serious?! Thank you! You don't understand how awful it's been here with everything going on, and-" The girl suddenly stopped herself, realizing how childish she was being about the whole situation. Embarrassed, she looked down. Apparently, she hadn't realized how ready she was to leave the hospital. Colin laughed, looking at her.

"Your welcome. I take it your pretty exited, yeah?" Maddie didn't reply, kept looking down. Stupid, stupid, stupid. That's what she was. Finally, she looked up to meet Colin's burning gaze. For a whole they just kept staring at eachother, at loss for words. As if Colin was sensing the awkwardness of the situation, he spoke up. "Well, uh, I should be going now. It's 2:00AM, and I should, you should, too, get to bed. Anyways, see you. Bye." And without another word, the boy left. Maddie stared at the place where Colin was for a bit, feeling some type of weird mixture of anxiety and total peacefulness. Maddie had sworn to herself never to get a boyfriend. Well. Times have changed, haven't they?


End file.
